Air inlet housing



June 2, 1953 E. HANS 40,4lI

AIR INLET HOUSING Filed June 2 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 i/Mmgz.

E. HANS June 2, l

AIR INLET HOUSING 3 Sheets-sheaf, 2

Filed J 2' 1949' INVENTO {av/nah? 5% June 2, 1953 E. E. HANS AIR INLET HOUSING 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2. 1949 v INVENTOR. Edmuld 5 /0/r.s

Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STAT E S PAT ENT OFF l (IE INLET HOUSING Edmund E. Hans, Detroit, Mich.

Application lune-z, 1949, Serial No. 96,731

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in air inlet housings for use either on buildings. or up on the roofs of closed vehicle bodies.

at the present time a. number on? dinerent an: inlet. housings are now in use for admitting air into buildings or-vehicle bod-lea their construction. is usually such that there is: a mm'lsed tendency for? air to flow tl 1erethroughin. one direction or the otherwhen such airflow is not This: is particularly true in the case of housings on. the tops of vehicles when the latter are traveling at a high rate of speed.

It is an object of the invention to provide an air inlet housing where-in the air therein remains suhstantialh; still when the fan therein is not in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air inlet housing wherein means are provided for discharging air therefrom immediately adiacent and. substantially parallel with. the ceiling... or theundersicie of the roof of a. room or vehicle body into which. it is being discharged. By so discharging the fresh air I find that. it mineles quickly and thoroughly with the air already within the room: or vehicle body and this ample and continuous supply of air from outside keeps all. the air therein clean and refreshing without creating. any perceptible draft or having any chilling effect upon persons therein.

Having thus riefiy stated some of the objects and. advantages of the invention I will now describe preferred embodiments thereof in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of the invention with parts broken away, and

Figure 2 is a side view thereof, also partly broken away.

Figure 3 is. a rear View taken largely as a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on a smaller scale showing the invention with an auxiliary connection formed in the roof and leading to the intake side of the housing.

Figure 5 is a modification showing my invention as applied to the rOOf of a building.

Figure 6 is another modified arrangement showing the invention applied to the ceiling of a room and with laterally extended air outlets.

Figure '7 shows the same construction as that employed in. Figure 6 but without the extended outlets.

Figure 8 is an inverted plan showing a modified air outlet wherein the air is all discharged toward the front.

Figure. 9 is. a sectional view oi the arrangement shown hrFi-gmerfi.

Figure. It is a view similar to that. shown in Figure 9', but. modified in. that a limited air outlet extends around the sides and rear as well as a larger outlet: toward the front.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 4,, inclusive. wherein. the invention is shown on the top of a closed vehicle body I, 2 denotes a casing, preerably circular in cross section, which is closed at the top, and extendingdownward around the lat ter is. an annular wall 3 the front and sides of which have a. series or horizontal louvers #2. formed; therethrough. These louvers extend aroundthe. sides of the casing 2 somewhat to the rear of the vertical axis oi the latter.

An. upwardly and outwardly inclined circular collar 5 is mounted in the casing 2 and has its arm's spacedsomewhat rearwardly relative to the vertical axis of the said casing. Formed integral with the lower margin. of the collar 5 is an in turned annular flange G which is: secured upon the roof T of the body 3 around an opening formed through the sairzl roof. Mounted on the. inner side 01. the root coaxially with the flange E is an annular deflector t which is: downwardly and outwardly inclined and has its outer margin outwardly flared so that it merges with the underside of the said roof.

Secured Within the casing 2 are a plurality of Ll-shaned battles to, H and i2, which are concentrically spaced from one another at. the front, and are also sospaced from the annular wall 3 The common axis of the LI -shaped ends. ofthe baffles it, it and i2 is positioned: in front of the axis of the: collar 5 These hafiles: are arranged in vertically overlapping relation and extend opposite the louver-s t and rearward-1y in the casing 2 a short distance behind the rear louvers on each side: these b aflies also proj'eot behindthe'axis of the collar 5 anddeflector 8 The lower margins of all the bafiles l li, it and I? extend beneath the levelof the top of the collar 5, and the radius of the'U-shaped end-of the intermediate bafile- H is smaller than that of the bottom bafile ill and larger than that of the top baffle 82, the upper margin of which lies adjacent the closed top of the casing 2.

Suitably supported in the casing Z coaxially with the collar 5 is an electric motor ['3 having a downwardly extending shaft on which a fan M is secured. The blades of the. latter lie in substantially the samehorizontal planeas the flange 6 and rotate in close. proximity to the inner annular margin of the latter. Suitably spaced beneath the deflector 8 is an imperforate plate I 5 the vertical center line through which is coaxial with the fan Hi. This plate l5 projects laterally beyond the flange E and its sides are downwardly and outwardly curved to form a passage l6 through which air discharged by the fan may flow between the said plate and the deflector 8. In order that the airflow either laterally or rearwardly from the passage l6 may be either restricted or entirely prevented the plate I5 may be provided with hinged marginal portions I50, which may be upturned as desired.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 4 the con-- struction is largely the same as that already described, except that the collar 5b is mounted on and forms part of the outer portion la of the roof between which and the inner portion lb of the latter air passages 1c are provided; and the annular deflector 8 bears against the inner portion lb of the roof of which it forms a part. Air inlet louvers I! are formed on opposite sides of the body through the inner roof portion lb so that air may flow from within the upper portion of the body I through the passages 10 and enter the casing 2 from the bottom and inside the collar 5b to mix with fresh air in the casing. The mixed air is then discharged by the fan M through the passage 16.

In Figures 8 to 10, inclusive, the arrangement is the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, except as to the plate [5b which extends beneath the deflector 8. In these views the imperforate plate [5b, which is flat and coaxial with the deflector 8, is so arranged that the margin of substantially its rear half coincides with the margin of the rear half of the said deflector. In Figures 8 and 9 the coinciding margins of the said plate and deflector are secured to one another so that no air may flow between them, whereas in Figure 10 the rear marginal portion of the plate I5!) is spaced somewhat beneath the deflector thereby permitting a restricted airflow between them. In all these views (Figures 8 to 10) substantially the front half of the plate ISD is of lesser radius than its rear half, and the front margin of the said plate lies inwardly relative to the front margin of the deflector, thereby providing a relatively wide passage lBa. for an unrestricted flow of air forwardly or substantially forwardly therethrough. It will however be noted that the entire periphery of the plate I So extends a material distance outwardly beyond the collar 5 through which air is discharged by the fan [4.

In all these cases, due to the fact that the louvers 4 extend both across the front of the casing 2 and rearwardly past the vertical center line of the latter, the tendency for air to enter and flow through the collar 5 from the front is offset by the tendency for air from within the collar to be drawn out through the rear portions of the said louvers, particularly when the housing is mounted on the roof of a vehicle in motion. The bafiles H), H and I2, of course, check inrushing air passing through the louvers t, and since both the said battles and louvers project behind the vertical axis of the collar 5, which, in turn, is behind the vertical axis of the casing 2, the tendency for air to flow either upwardly or downwardly through the collar when the fan I4 is not in operation is negligible.

Referring to Figure 5, wherein an air inlet housing for attachment upon a roof of a building Id is shown, 3d denotes an annular casing having a conical cover 2d mounted thereover and extending downwardly below and around the upper margin of the said casing. Mounted centrally in the latter is a vertical motor l3d having a depending shaft on which a fan 14d is secured; the fan is so located that it lies substantially in the same horizontal plane as the underside of the casing 3d. 8d designates an annular deflector which is mounted coaxial with the fan Md. and is downwardly and outwardly inclined and has its outer margin flared to merge with the underside of the roof or ceiling 1d of the building. The bore of the annular deflector 8d is also substantially in horizontal alignment with the fan, and extending beneath and in axial alignment with the latter is an imperforate plate [5d which is radially downwardly and outwardly curved to form a passage l6cl of substantially uniform height in a radial direction between the deflector and the said plate. It will also be noted that the periphery of the plate I5d extends a material distance outwardly beyond the fan Md, and that the bore of the deflector 8d is of such size that the blades of the said fan rotate in close proximity thereto.

In Figures 6 and 7, 25 denotes a suitable air duct from outside which terminates over a ceiling 1e. Mounted upon the latter is an upwardly and outwardly inclined collar 5e which extends upwardly in the duct 25. Supported centrally in the collar 5c is a vertical motor l3e having a depending shaft on which a fan Me is secured; this fan is substantially in horizontal alignment with the underside of the duct 25. Secured to the ceiling immediately beneath the collar 56 and coaxial therewith is a downwardly and outwardly inclined deflector 8e the outer periphery of which merges with the underside of the ceiling Te. Supported beneath and coaxial with the deflector 8a is an imperforate plate [5e which is radially downwardly and outwardly inclined to form a passage I Be of uniform height in a radial direction between the said plate and deflector. The plate [56 is also of such diameter that it extends a material distance outwardly beyond the collar 56 in which the fan Ile rotates.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 6 a horizontal wall 26 is provided beneath the underside of the ceiling 1e to form an air space 21 through which air discharged by the fan Me through the passage Ifle flows to opposite sides of the body or room whence it passes into the latter through louvers 28 formed through the wall 26. In Figure 7 on the other hand the air flows directly from the passage lGe into the top of the room.

In all cases, except Figures 8, 9 and 10, it will be noted that the deflector 8, 8d or 8e, and the imperforate plate l5, 15d or l5e, are relatively so formed that the cross sectional area of the passage l6, I6d or We formed between them is of substantially uniform height radially from the fan axis while the width of the passage in creases rapidly toward the periphery of the said passage, consequently a steady flow of air passes through the latter. Again, due to the shape of the deflector and imperforate plate all air discharged from the passage flows immediately adjacent the underside of the roof or ceiling so that no perceptible draft occurs even at a relatively slight distance beneath the said roof or ceiling; and the fresh air thus continuously discharged into the room or vehicle body in ample volume mixes quickly and at a high elevation with air already therein so that the air supply therein is kept clean and refreshing.

In Figures 1 to 3 and 8 to 10, both inclusive, the upper margin of the front portion of the collar 5 is outwardly rolled at 5 and the rear margin of the collar is of lesser height and not rolled at its upper margin. In Figures 6 and 7 the collar 5e has its upper margin outwardly rolled at 59 around its entire circumference. The purpose of the rolled collar is to prevent any air which flows upward around the collar interfering with the downward flow of air into the collar when the fan is in operation. In Figures 1 to 3 and 8 to 10, both inclusive, the back of the collar is of reduced height to increase the tendency for air to flow from the back of the collar to the rear louvers 4 and offset and balance the tendency for air flowing in through the front louvers to flow down through the collar when the fan is inoperative.

It must also be pointed out that my air inlet device, as shown in Figures 1 to 4 and 8 to 10 both inclusive, is so constructed that an effective rain trap is formed which prevents any rain which finds its way through the louvers 4 entering the collar 5 for discharge into the body 1 by the fan 14. vertically overlapping baffles 10, II and 12 against one of which the rain is carried, and the outwardly and downwardly rolled upper margin 5 of the collar, which acts to prevent rain being lifted by the air and carried into the collar.

While in the foregoing the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described and shown, it is understood that the said invention is susceptible to such further alterations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An air inlet device including a circular casing having an imperforate top and an annular depending wall, the latter having openings therethrough for the passage of air into the casing, the underside of the depending wall being adapted to be mounted upon a roof, a collar in the casing mounted around an opening formed through the roof, a downwardly and outwardly flared circular open ended deflector mounted on the underside of the roof coaxial with the collar and extending from the top side of the roof at the edge of the opening to the underside thereof, the deflector being of smoothly reverse-curved contour, a fan coaxially mounted in the collar and having blades thereon which are substantially in horizontal alignment with the upper open end of said deflector and in close proximity to the wall of said upper open end, and an imperforate plate mounted in spaced relation beneath the underside of the deflector and fan and extending outwardly beyond the upper open end of the deflector all around the latter, said plate being curved downwardly and outwardly so as to form an air passage between it and said deflector, said fan being adapted to induce a flow of air into the casing and through the collar and to discharge it through said passage in a substantially horizontal plane adjacent the underside of said roof.

2. An air inlet housing including a circular This is elfected by the arrangement of the casing adapted to be mounted on a roof over on opening formed through the latter, said casing being formed with an annular downwardly-depending wall engaging the top of said roof, and said casing having air inlet openings in the annular wall thereof, a collar in the casing mounted upon the roof around the roof opening, said 001-- lar being of lower height at one side than atthe side near the air inlet openings, bafile means in the casing in spaced relationship with said inlet openings for preventing direct air flow from the air inlet openings into the collar, a fan having blades thereon coaxially mounted in the collar, a downwardly and openly flared circular open ended deflector mounted on the underside of'the roof and extending from the upper edge of. the

roof opening to the lower edge of the latter, said deflector having its upper open end coaxial with the fan and substantially in alignment with the blades of the latter, the deflector being of a smoothly reverse curved contour, and a substantially horizontal imperforate plate mounted in spaced relation beneath the underside of the= deflector and fan and extending outwardly beyond the upper open end of the deflector all around the latter, said plate being curved downwardly and outwardly so as to form an air passage 'between it and said deflector whereby air discharged by the fan flows outwardly in a substantially horizontally direction through the passage and adjacent the underside of the roof.

3. The combination in claim 1, wherein the air inlet openings in the casing are arranged in a portion of the wall thereof offset from the vertical axis of the collar.

4. The combination in claim 2, wherein at least that portion of the upper margin of the collar on the side nearest said air inlet openings is outwardly rolled.

5. The combination in claim 2, wherein the bafliing means comprises a plurality of U-shaped bafiles within the casing arranged in vertically stepped overlapping relation and spaced from one another.

EDMUND E. HANS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,722,825 Roethel July 30, 1929 2,179,893 Lyon Nov. 14, 1939 2,190,937 Demuth Feb. 20, 1940 2,292,192 Bergstrom Aug. 4, 1942 2,301,045 Heath Nov. 3, 1942 2,332,552 Belanger Oct. 26, 1943 2,334,789 Olson Nov. 23, 1943 2,369,119 Dauphinee Feb. 13, 1945 2,433,981 Buck Jan. 6, 1948 2,544,689 Kennedy Mar. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,981 Great Britain July 28, 1904 389,230 Great Britain Mar. 16-, 1933 631,966 Germany June 30, 1936 677,162 France Dec. 7, 1929 

